[Met Performance] CID:79590



Mefistofele
Metropolitan Opera House, Thu, December 29, 1921




Mefistofele (35)
Arrigo Boito | Arrigo Boito
Mefistofele
Jos? Mardones

Faust
Beniamino Gigli

Margherita
Frances Alda

Elena
Florence Easton

Wagner
Angelo Bad?

Marta
Kathleen Howard

Pantalis
Flora Perini

Ner?o
Giordano Paltrinieri


Conductor
Roberto Moranzoni







Review 1:

Review of P. C. R. in Musical America

"Mefistofele" was repeated on Thursday night with Jose Mardones in the title role and Frances Alda, Florence Easton and Beniamino Gigli as Margherita, Elena and Faust respectively. The performance, under the conductorship of Moranzoni, was distinguished by much excellent singing. Mr. Mardones made up in voice what he lacked as an actor. He was a mild-mannered Mefistofele, but his sonorous organ had full play in the Prologue and he accomplished some genuinely fine work. Mme. Alda, too, contributed admirable music, especially in the prison scene. Radiant of person and vocally glorious, Mme. Easton, in the attic episode, was enough to send any Faust scurrying from the text of Boito back to the folios of Kit Marlowe and the immortal apostrophe to Helen. She made exquisite song of her [first] air and brought beauty of tone to her vocal utterance in the subsequent duet. An obstreperous faction made much noise over Mr. Gigli, but the manufactured applause was dimmed by the real ovation that followed his singing in the last act. It is unfortunate that an artist able to stand firmly on his own feet should be the subject of rowdy demonstration that defeats its own end; that he should be brought back repeatedly to bow to an unresponsive house while sundry hard-handed individuals hanging over the back rail of the top gallery smack their hands together with unemotional precision. When there is fine singing, the Metropolitan audience needs no cheer-leader. It was not slow to recognize Mr. Gigli's merit on this occasion. The tenor did some admirable work, although not always up to standard.



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